Assignment 2 – Customer satisfaction evaluation and decision making Task: To be performed in groups of 3 or 4 persons max Marks: 30% of unit total Deadline: Week 11 – Sunday 16 November Word limit:...

Task: To be performed in groups of 3 or 4 persons max

Marks: 30% of unit total

Deadline: Week 11 – Sunday 16 November

Word limit: 2700(excluding the reference list)

NB.This assignment is a group task – it is rare that managers work in isolation and part of the learning outcome for this assignment is to develop your management skills and capacity to work effectively with others.

As in assignment 1 writing concisely and to the point is an important skill to develop - please do not exceed the word limit.

Assignment description

Generally marketing managers do not perform the actual market research. However, they do frequently commission and oversee market research projects, as well as interpret data and make decisions on the basis of research findings.

This assignment requires you to consider the research process and decision making for a satisfaction survey of guests staying at Hilton Hotels using the gap analysis approach covered in the unit. This is a very relevant topic since quantitative evaluation of customer satisfaction and service quality is a common research activity conducted by many businesses.

NB – Please do not actually conduct any primary market research for this assignment, rather just consider the research design and process involved in gap analysis satisfaction research from the marketing manager’s perspective.

Purpose

Marketing managers select research suppliers and brief the agencies on what they expect from the research. They should also monitor the research process to try to ensure that the research is performed in an effective manner and that the data produced is reliable.

This assignment therefore requires you to set research objectives, consider the strategic role of the research and the type of information expected, as well as outline the key considerations at each stage in the research process.

The assignment will also help develop your ability to work in a group, as well as skills in desk research (library and Internet search), collating presenting and interpreting information, as well as the ESSENTIAL SKILL of accurate referencing.

Assignment tasks

In this assignment be sure to cover the following:

Marketing objective(s) of the research

Initially you must outline the marketing objective(s) of your customer satisfaction research. With the gap analysis approach these might include aspects such as identifying strengths and weaknesses in the service mix; providing comparative data for competition, prioritising actions for improving the service mix (and overall customer satisfaction), etc.

Information required to fulfill the marketing research objectives

· In this section you should consider the information required, desired presentation format, as well as clearly illustrating what will be done with it / how it will fulfill the research objectives.

· To do this effectively you should provide your own examples of the expected research output and clearly describe how it can be interpreted to assist the company decision making process. (To assist in this regard you might provide estimates of data and produce your own examples of the anticipated output)

Key considerations for the data collection stages in the research process (potential barriers to reliable data).This section will serve asa checklist for the marketing manager to monitor / supervise the agency that conducts the research and should focus upon aspects such as:

· Correct data collection approach / methodology

· Questionnaire design

· Customer target and sample

· Contact strategy & response rates

· Training and supervision of the data collection team (if appropriate)

· Data processing (coding, input and analysis)

How to structure your writing

· Cover page – Please include a cover page containing the following:

ü Title: “as per the assignment heading on page 1”

ü Student name(s) and ID number (s)

ü Unit title and code

ü Tutor name

ü Date & total word count (excluding cover page and reference list).

· Introduction - Write about 150 wordsoutlining the structure of the report and the significance of customer satisfaction research decision making

· Objective(s) of the research-Write about 200 wordsoutlining the marketing objective(s) of the research (an attitude survey of hotel guests) as well as the specific research objectives.

· Information required to fulfill the research objectivesWrite about 800 words describing how the information collected will achieve the research objectives. Provide examples of anticipated output; how it might be interpreted and how it assists decision making.

· Considerations in the research process–Write about 1200 words outlining the key pitfalls and what the marketing manager should be concerned about during the research process.

· Conclusion - Write about 150 words on the importance of the marketing manager’s role in the research process.

· As an appendix include a final sectioncomprising approximately 200 words – ‘Reflections on the group task’– in this you should reflect upon how was the group task was managed describing any ground-rules that were set, what worked well, where improvements might be made when managing future group projects.

· Word limit –There is a considerable amount to cover, so it is important that you clearly introduce the focus of your assignment and then write clearly and concisely within the specified word limit.At the end of each section please state the number of words you have used. On the cover page please also indicate the total number of words, which should not exceed 2700 words. NB the reference list does not count toward the word limit.

· Finally insert your ‘References’ list using a recognized referencing format such as APA or Harvard –(For example, the ‘Harvard quick guide’ provides a useful summary http://www.swinburne.edu.au/lib/researchhelp/harvard_quick_guide.pdf).

· For this assignment it is anticipated that you will use a minimum of six to ten different references that include relevant journal articles.

· Please write in a professional manner with a clear structure and appropriate headings, properly spell checked and proof read.

· Finally insert your ‘References’ list using the Harvard format – for this assignment it is anticipated that you will use a minimum of seven different references.

Assessment format

· Includes a cover page containing the following:

ü Title: “as per the assignment heading on page 1”

ü Student name(s) and ID number(s)

ü Unit title and code

ü Tutor name

ü Date & word count.

· Is written in a professional manner with a clear structure and appropriate headings, properly spell checked and proof read.

· There is a considerable amount to cover, so it is important that you clearly introduce the focus of your assignment and then write clearly and concisely within the specified word limit.

· Uses the Swinburne recommended system for referencing, follow this link for details:http://www.swinburne.edu.au/lib/researchhelp/harvard_system.htm#Referencelistsandbibliographies

· The Harvard quick guide provides a useful summary.

http://www.swinburne.edu.au/lib/researchhelp/harvard_quick_guide.pdf

Submission & mark allocation

The assignment must be submitted via Blackboard.Your tutor will use the following guidelines to grade your work out of 100:

* NB appropriate reading, accurate referencing and author citation are prerequisite for Distinction and Higher Distinction grades.